Jennifer Lopez loves being a mom to 16-year-old twins Emme and Max — but, at times, she’s questioned whether she’s “enough” for them.
“It says a lot about the character of someone, when people are good and loving and supportive of each other, what they can accomplish,” Lopez, 55, told Entertainment Weekly during an interview published on Monday, December 2. “I’ve been a single mom at times in my life, and [I’ve asked,] ‘Am I enough for them?’ And the truth is, all you need is really one good parent to love you.”
In Unstoppable, Lopez stars as Judy Robles, a real-life woman and mother of former NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who raised her children while dealing with both financial insecurity and an abusive relationship. The film, Lopez said, helped her move past a lot of her parenting insecurities.
“You hear it in Anthony’s voice, and look what he’s been able to accomplish,” she explained. “That’s what the movie gave me: You are enough.”
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Lopez shares Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony. She and Anthony, 56, divorced in 2014 after 10 years of marriage. She went on to wed Ben Affleck in July 2022 and filed to divorce the 52-year-old actor in August 2024.
“There was a lot about her that I understood,” Lopez told EW of Judy and why the character chose to stay with her toxic husband, Rich (Bobby Canavale). “There were different sides to him that the kids didn’t see, that only Judy saw. With those types of people, there’s a part of them that fools you into thinking that they care about you and that they truly love you — and it’s really about their damage that they’re putting onto you.”
Lopez added, “There was a lot going on with the two of them that was dysfunctional and unhealthy, but [Judy] loved [Rich] and wanted him to be there. He was the father of four of her children. As angry and upset as she could be at him, she could also welcome him back in a second, like she did in the movie, which was heartbreaking.”
Last month, Lopez attended an Unstoppable screening in London and opened up about navigating “challenging relationships” as a mother amid her ongoing divorce from Affleck, who serves as a producer on the film.
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“I think a lot of women have gone through that, and [Judy] and I talked a lot,” Lopez said at the time, noting that she wanted Judy to “really feel safe with me [while] sharing details” about her life.
“When you talk to Judy’s kids, including Anthony, they’re like, ‘My mom’s so positive, she’s so great,’” Lopez continued. “There was a whole different story there that she was living, that you hide from your children, you protect your children from that.”
Lopez said that she didn’t want to “just play the mom who the kids knew, but to play the woman who raised these children and how she found her own strength.” She also noted that she didn’t want “anybody to see me in [the role]. I wanted them to see Judy in it.”
Unstoppable is produced as part of Affleck’s Artists Equity production company, which he cofounded with best friend Matt Damon. Affleck praised his estranged wife’s performance earlier this month during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “Jennifer is spectacular.”
Unstoppable hits theaters on Friday, December 6.
